Why students can not write a balanced chemical equation????

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[Announcements] [Introduce Yourself] [ICT] [Prasekolah] [LINUS] [KSSR] [UPSR] [PMR] [SPM] [STPM] [School] [Classroom] [Clubs & Uniformed Bodies] [JPN] [SPA] [SICT] [SPP] [SPS] [SPPK] [SPSPK] [SPI] [SPsK] [JNJK] [PPD] [Program] [Computer & Internet] [Let's Hear It From You] [Membergroup]

[Lim Tze Khai]

Teachers and students,

I think lot of students out there can not write a balance chemical equation.

So, this poll is just to identify students weakness in writing balance equation and hopefully from the result, we can do something to help our students......

Everyone are welcome to give ideas and comment to improve our students skill in writing a balance chemical equation.

Thank you for your time to post your poll.

[Ting Tin Chung]

  Hi Mr Lim,
Normally I told my student to memorize the general equation. For example :
(i) acid + alkali --> salt + H₂O
(ii) acid + carbonate metal --> salt + H₂O + CO₂
... etc

If the student can memorize the general equation, then they don't have the problem to write the equation. For example, I told my student always take the negative ion for the acid and positive ion for the other reactant. Combine the 2 ions so that they can get the formula of the salt. the rest like water, carbon dioxide, they should know the formula. from here, at least they can score 1 mark for the equation if total mark are 2 marks. Then after they know how to write the equation, then i taught them how to balanced the equation. This is what I normally done in the class. Quite successful for my weak class. But of course, the student must have the basic knowledge about how to write the formula of the ionic compound. I forced them to memorize the formula of the ions and luckily it work!! Now they understood why I forced them to memorize!!!

Hope this one can help you........ just sharing........ 

[Jong Kah Yin]

Basically, students are weak in chemical equations because they do not know (or do not want to know) the formula of ion and its charge. Subsequently, the formula of compound is wrong and no matter how they balanced it, it would not be balanced. Generally, if they can get the formula of the reactants and products correct, though the chemical equations are not balanced, they still can get one mark out of the 2 marks allocated.
When they have mastered these basics already, then move on to teach them to write equations involving acids with metal/metal oxides/hydroxide and carbonates, of course they need to rememeber the chemical formula of basic acids, hydrochloric, sulphuric and nitric acid and common alkalis

[Choo Yih Teen]

Chemical equation is fairly important skill. It is the starter for most calculation question and explaining the chemical reactions....

identify the reactants and predict the products, writing correct chemical formula.... have to be learnt before balancing a chemical equation.

just my piece of opinion...

[Lim Tze Khai]

We as teacher know what is important to the students and try to help them by many ways but whatever we do, it go back to the students. If they do not follow our advise / guideline then everything that we do would not success??? 

So, students, listen to your teacher advise..and improve your knowledge in chemistry and hopefully it will help you in the future.

What ever it is, we should keep on reminding students above the important of writing balanced chemical equations and give them exercise from time to time, so that they can recall the formula of ions and compounds and calculation quetions. Then they will realise the important of memorising what we ask they do memorise.

This is just my opinion. 10s.

[Siam Ching Wah]

start with the simplest....

[Tay Guan Piang]

Basically, students are weak in chemical equations because they do not know (or do not want to know) the formula of ion and its charge. Subsequently, the formula of compound is wrong and no matter how they balanced it, it would not be balanced. Generally, if they can get the formula of the reactants and products correct, though the chemical equations are not balanced, they still can get one mark out of the 2 marks allocated.
When they have mastered these basics already, then move on to teach them to write equations involving acids with metal/metal oxides/hydroxide and carbonates, of course they need to rememeber the chemical formula of basic acids, hydrochloric, sulphuric and nitric acid and common alkalis

Ya, i agree with you, Mr.Jong. For my students, i make them by-heart the following lists:
1. The first 20 elements and their electron arrangement.
2. List of anions (ex. MnO_4^-)
3. Electrochemical series
4. Summary of salts
5. Reactivity series of metal

and students do improve a lot in their formulae writing.

[Beh Chek Sim]

STUDENTS DO NOT HAVE TO REMEMBER ALL THE CATIONS AND ANIONS IN ORDER TO WRITE THE BALANCED IONIC COMPOUND. JUST THE ONES THAT ALWAYS COME OUT. EX NaKHAgLiH (+1) BaCaCuMgFeZn (+2) etc. I made a big banner of cations and anions pasted on the wall of the chemistry lab. So these students can see this ions during chemistry periods and help them to remember. Before they write the balanced eq, they need to memorize the ions first but only the basic ones. sulphate, nitrate,carbonate etc. will share the banner i made later cos that was my innovative competition. can also use the concept of "see saw" for weak students. but don have to worry too much cos i notice the equation seldom come out in spm.

[Tay Guan Piang]

STUDENTS DO NOT HAVE TO REMEMBER ALL THE CATIONS AND ANIONS IN ORDER TO WRITE THE BALANCED IONIC COMPOUND. JUST THE ONES THAT ALWAYS COME OUT. EX NaKHAgLiH (+1) BaCaCuMgFeZn (+2) etc. I made a big banner of cations and anions pasted on the wall of the chemistry lab. So these students can see this ions during chemistry periods and help them to remember. Before they write the balanced eq, they need to memorize the ions first but only the basic ones. sulphate, nitrate,carbonate etc. will share the banner i made later cos that was my innovative competition. can also use the concept of "see saw" for weak students. but don have to worry too much cos i notice the equation seldom come out in spm.

Thanks a lot, Cgu Beh for your sharing. By the way, i got a question that i've posted here and really need help, i wonder if Cgu Beh can help me? Please refer to link below; all sharing are very very much appreciated.

http://forum.engkabang.net/index.php/topic,24322.0.html

[Eric Chong]

As i see, write a balanced equation start with write molecular formulae or ionic formulae. Master the skill of writting chemical formulae then can further to equation.

Steps to master formulae writting
1. Clarify the cation ( mostly metal ) and anion ( non metal  )
2. Charge of cation n anion. ( memorize with someway easy to remember)
    Depend on individual favour, some like to make a funny sentence;
    charge +1 ( kami nak ) ( kalium and natrium ) or ( potassium n sodium )
    charge +2 (  cupa pandai cari magazine baby ) ( copper , lead, calcium, magnesium)
    charge +3 ( aluminium )
    charge -1 ( OH, CI, I )
    CHARGE -2 ( CO3, O, SO4 )
3. Cation followed by anion ( Standard writting )
4. CROSSING OVER CHARGE TO GET ATOM PROPORTION.
5. Frequent practice ( example, ask the student to write the chemical formulae when u read the chemical name in class. every lesson spend 3 minutes)
6. memorize the frequent asked in spm reaction
    a) Neutralization ( acid + base > salt +water )
    b) heating of carbonate ( carbonate > metal oxide + Carbon dioxide )
    c) Metal react with acid ( acid + metal > salt + hydrogen gas )
    d) Carbonate react with acid ( carbonate + acid > salt + co2 + water )
    e) heating of metal/ metal oxidation ( metal > metal oxide )
    f) combustion ( 2 types , which are incomplete n complete )
        complete ( HYDROCARON + O2> CO2 + WATER )
        INCOMPLETE ( Hydrocarbon +O2 > C + WATER / CO +WATER )
    and etc.
    g) and also memorize electrolysis equation
        anod ( anion - e > gas )
        cathode ( cation + e > solid )
     

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